The present invention relates to a pallet stacking device which maximizes vertical stacking capability of loaded pallets.
Bottle carrying crates are often stacked in vertical sets on top of pallets. For example, two liter bottle crates may be stacked in sets of three to seven. A pallet loaded with such a stack of bottle crates may be properly handled by a forklift for shipment or storage. Generally, stacking more than four or five crates vertically on a pallet can create stability or handling problems.
Because height in a warehouse is significantly less expensive than floor space, it is desirable to stack fully loaded pallets vertically as high as possible. However, various problems arise in stacking loaded wood pallets on top of other fully loaded pallets. The wood pallet must rest upon the bottle caps of the top crate of the loaded pallet upon which it is to be stacked. Generally, wood pallets only have three spaced apart horizontal slats, therefore weight of the loaded pallet is not properly distributed because only the three slats resting upon a portion of the bottle caps below will support the load. This configuration may be unstable. Also, this configuration may lead to a xe2x80x9cfloweringxe2x80x9d affect wherein the outer row of bottles or cans may tend to lean outwardly.
One prior art attempt to increase the stacking capacity of fully loaded pallets is to place a plywood sheet on top of the highest crate so that the plywood rests on top of the bottle caps or can tops. In this manner, the weight of the pallet or pallets stacked on top of the plywood sheet may be more evenly distributed to all bottle caps. However, the use of plywood sheets is problematic because when the plywood gets wet it tends to warp, and the plywood may also splinter which can create handling problems, particularly when the plywood does not have handles. Additionally, the plywood will have a significantly limited life span, particularly when the plywood gets wet.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for maximizing the stacking capacity of pallets loaded with bottle crates or can crates so that the number of loaded pallets which may be vertically stacked is optimized.
The present invention overcomes the above-referenced shortcomings of the use of plywood in maximizing stacking capacity of pallets loaded with bottle crates or can crates by providing a plastic stacking member having on one side a contoured surface having grooves and ridges formed therein sufficiently to engage and support a variety of arrays of bottle caps or can tops, with fully loaded bottle crates or can crates. This invention promotes load stability through uniform axial loading of each bottle or can. The stacking member is also provided with handles on each peripheral edge, and with through-holes for cleaning, convenience and for drainage of spilled cartons.
More specifically, the present invention provides a method of vertically stacking crates loaded with liquid containers having container tops. The method includes the steps of: a) loading liquid containers into portable crates with the container tops exposed; b) arranging the loaded crates onto a first pallet in a vertically stacked configuration of crate layers; c) positioning a plastic coupling member on an uppermost crate layer in contact with the exposed container tops, the plastic coupling member having a contoured surface configured with an array of indentations formed therein and properly spaced to mate with each exposed container top of the uppermost crate layer, the array of indentations being sufficiently deep to prevent relative lateral displacement of the coupling member with respect to the exposed container tops of the uppermost layer; and d) stacking a fully loaded second pallet on the plastic coupling member, the second pallet being fully loaded with multiple crate layers including multiple crates loaded with liquid containers.
Another aspect of the invention provides an interface between stacked arrays of containers having container tops. The interface includes a pallet loaded with a stacked array of containers and a layer of exposed container tops. A plastic coupling member is positioned between the layer of exposed container tops and the pallet. The plastic coupling member includes a contoured surface configured with an array of indentations formed therein and properly spaced to mate with each of the layer of exposed container tops. The array of indentations are sufficiently deep to prevent relative lateral displacement of the coupling member with respect to the layer of exposed container tops.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for maximizing the stacking capacity of pallets loaded with bottle crates or can crates so that the number of loaded pallets which may be vertically stacked is optimized.
The above object and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.